Cooking Tips — little secrets from the pros
Why does rice turn out fluffy, why won’t dough rise, why does meat get tough? 2163 tips tested by chefs and the community — sorted into categories and explained one by one.
All Tips
2,163 tips listed
Why Can’t a Kitchen Scale Measure Very Small Amounts Accurately?
Most home kitchen scales display weight in 1-gram increments, so the margin of error when measuring 2 grams of yeast can be as much as half the amount. The scal...
How to Use the Crust and Interior of Stale Bread Separately
The crust and interior of stale bread come from the same loaf but behave like two different ingredients. The crust is dry and breaks easily; it is the right par...
What Can You Make with Leftover Egg Whites?
What you can make with leftover egg whites depends on how many you have. One egg white is enough for breading, an omelet, or brushing dough to give it a glossy...
How to Use Leftover Cheese Ends and Crumbs
Grate different leftover cheese ends and combine them for savory pastry filling, a pasta bake topping, or a kumpir filling. Follow one rule when making the mixt...
How to Use Leftover Bulgur Pilaf
Leftover bulgur pilaf behaves differently from rice pilaf: cooled rice grains separate, while bulgur breaks down and sticks together when kneaded. That is why l...
What Can You Make with Leftover Bean Stew?
Leftover bean stew becomes a new dish using the beans themselves. Cooked chickpeas and beans act as binders when mashed, so they can be used in spreads, patties...
What Can You Make with Leftover Egg Yolks?
Because egg yolks contain fat and emulsifiers, they are useful for binding, enriching, and adding color: they thicken sauces and custards, deepen the color of p...
How to Use Leftover Pasta in Other Dishes
Instead of trying to restore leftover pasta to its just-cooked texture, it is easier to use it while firm. Pasta that firms up when chilled holds together throu...
What Can You Make with Leftover Rice?
Cold rice straight from the refrigerator can do things fresh rice cannot: its grains have firmed up and dried, so they do not stick together when fried in a pan...
How Can You Turn Leftover Soup into Another Dish?
Leftover soup that thickens as it cools is not a failure; it is a ready-made base for another dish. Thickened lentil soup can become the cooking liquid for bulg...
Can You Use Watermelon Rind?
The dark green outer layer of watermelon rind is tough and flavorless, so peel it away; the white layer underneath behaves like squash. It is crisp and neutral...
Should You Discard Mushroom Stems?
The stems of cultivated mushrooms should not be discarded; they are the same ingredient as the caps and can be chopped and cooked with them. Only the very botto...